Man arrested after alleged shoplifting leads to officer-involved shooting at Phoenix Walmart

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A man is in custody after an alleged shoplifting attempt ended in an officer-involved shooting at a Phoenix Walmart on Saturday morning.

Around 11:00 a.m., a shooting involving an officer happened at a Walmart near 35th and Southern avenues. According to police, 35-year-old David Apana was attempting to shoplift and walk out of the Walmart when a loss prevention employee approached him at the front of the store just before the exit doors.

An off-duty officer in uniform was in the area of the storefront and tried to assist the loss prevention employee. Police say that is when Apana pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the officer and loss prevention employee, and the officer fired at Apana, missing him. Apana then ran back into the store, exiting out the back end, police say. Officers searched the area and found Apana and the handgun in a neighborhood just west of the Walmart.

“I heard like a boom or a pop. And at first, I thought it was like a shelf had fallen off,” said Joe Torres, who was inside the Walmart during the shooting. “I’m concerned about their evacuation procedure. It seems like there isn’t any. That’s the only thing i’m concenred about.”

“It’s going to feel pretty scary to shop here because you don’t know what’s going to happen or who you’re around with,” said Veronica Vela, a Walmart customer who noticed the crime scene when she was going to get groceries.

No serious injuries were reported, and no officers were hurt. Apana was arrested and booked into jail and faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer and armed robbery. Police did not say what he attempted to steal.

Arizona’s Family reached out to Walmart regarding this incident and received this statement:

Police are asking anyone who was in the store when the shooting occurred to contact the Phoenix police department.

This is the 12th officer-involved shooting in Maricopa County and the 16th in the state this year.

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